Lincoln County School District Superintendent Mickey Myers described the pay for long-term substitute teachers as “almost an insult” in Tuesday’s board meeting.

“We’ve got to get a certified teacher to bridge that gap. State law requires a certified teacher for a long-term sub,” he said.

Myers said the old pay rate was very much behind surrounding districts.

“We’ve got to make it a little more lucrative. You can’t have someone go on maternity leave six weeks and put just so and so who’s on the sub list in there,” he said. “We’ve got to make it lucrative enough that education continues. They’re teaching the class. For six weeks they’re grading papers, doing lesson plans and actually teaching and providing instruction.”

Votes for the new policy were unanimous. In the new policy, long-term substitute teachers who will be teaching for at least 20 days will be paid $125 per day. This is up from $80 in the old policy. In addition, those teachers will be paid $125 starting from day one rather than after the first 10 days.

In other business:

•A request from Letha Presley to attend the 2016 Mississippi Early Childhood Education Conference in Nachez along with Betty Evans was approved.

• Jason Frazier’s application for the 2016-2017 Administrator Sabbatical Program was approved.

• Requests to run ads in The Daily Leader for a special ed administrative assistant and bids on dust control and oil products was approved.

• The school lunch rates for 2016-2017 were increased to $2.50, up from $2.25.

• An extended contract was approved for Billy Sumrall and David Seth Sumrall.

• The low bid for classroom renovation at Bogue Chitto Attendance Center was $49,733 for Rushing Construction and $22,000 for Paul Jackson and Sons for restroom renovation.